She became a global name just two years ago with her hit album Pink Friday.

But Nicki Minaj has revealed she had concerns about increasing her fame when it came to deciding whether to accept a job on the American Idol panel.

'There's a judgemental culture
in hip-hop where sometimes you are afraid of being too famous
because it's almost, like, is that even cool?' she tells The Hollywood Reporterin a new interview.

New faces: Nicki Minaj poses alongside Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey, Ryan Seacrest and Keith Urban in the new issue of The Hollywood Reporter

Just judging: Minaj worried her hip hop credibility would be affected by taking on Idol

'Being that accessible,
someone you see on TV every week? I never pictured myself as that type
of person. I'm still surprised that I decided to do it.'

The 30-year-old rapper, who is signed to hip label Cash Money, says she consulted her mentor Lil Wayne along with family and friends over whether to take her place on the panel alongside Mariah Carey, Keith Urban and Randy Jackson.

'I had a lot of talks with people - my family, my best friends, my
label, Lil Wayne, management and then the producers,' she says.

Minaj, who is rumoured to be pocketing $12 million for the season, made her mark months before the show's forthcoming premiere on January 16, with a well-publicised spat with Carey during the New York auditions, but refuses to discuss the altercation.

Carey diplomatically adds: 'Sometimes things get heated for their own reasons. I don't think the panel has an issue.'

However, the show's British producer Nigel Lythgoe admits that the publicity surrounding the row may have helped fuel the buzz surrounding the show.

'Personally, I'm not over the moon that it happened. But if you asked me, as a professional, is it good for the show? The answer would probably be yes,' he says.

However, the panel put on a united front, appearing together on the cover of the trade magazine.

New year, new look: American Idol will air on U.S. network Fox on January 16

Meanwhile, Carey, who is rumoured to be taking home $18 million for Idol, admits she was also 'on the fence about the whole thing.'

However, she was convinced to take the job by husband Nick Cannon who cited Idol's dominance in the TV talent show ratings - it still averages an impressive 17.2 million per episode.

'He said I should do it
because it's the top, it's the cream of the crop,' she said. 'And I felt like, "Do
the show that's produced massive stars who have had major careers."'